Hearts of Gold: The Inspiring Tales of the Sahaba RA

#17:;BILAL IBN RABAH (رضي الله عنه) ;THE MASTER OF THE CALLERS OF PRAYERS..

This is the humbling story of an African man in an Arab society, where as a slave he was considered a commodity, an item of trade to be bought and sold as the owner wished. It is an account of courage, love, and mercy – the story of a man who rose from the lowest status in society to one promised eternal life in the Gardens of Paradise. This is the tale of Bilal ibn Rabah (RA)

'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud radiya Llahu 'anhu reports, "The first to openly voice Islam were seven,. Rasulullah salla Llahu 'alayhi wa sallam, Abu Bakr, 'Ammar, his mother Sumayyah, Suhayb, Bilal, and Miqdad. Allah protected Rasulullah salla Llahu 'alayhi wa sallam by means of his uncle Abu Talib and Allah protected Abu Bakr by his tribe. As regards the rest of them, the polytheists grabbed them and made them wear steel armour and left them to swelter in the burning sun. Each of them surrendered to their directives besides Bilal. He considered his life insignificant in the path of Allah and he was of little importance to his people. So they handed him over to the children who wandered about with him in the paths of Makkah while he cried, "The One! The One!"

Bilal Ibn Rabah RA was the first announcer of the time of Muslim prayer and the troublemaker to the idols. He was one of the miracles of faith and truthfulness, one of Islam's great miracles. For out of every ten Muslims, from the beginning of Islam until today and until Allah wills, we will meet seven, at least, who know Bilal.

That is, there are hundreds of millions of people throughout the centuries and generations who know Bilal, remember his name, and know his role just as they know the two greatest Caliphs in Islam, Abu Bakr RA and Umar RA!

Before Islam, Bilal was no more than a slave who tended herds of camels for his master for a handful of dates. Had it not been for Islam, it would have been his fate to remain a slave, wandering among the crowd until death brought an end to his life and caused him to perish in the profoundest depths of forgetfulness.

However, his faith proved to be true, and the magnificence of the religion which he believed in gave him, during his lifetime and in history, an elevated place among the great and holy men of Islam. Indeed, many human beings of distinction, prestige, or wealth have not obtained even one-tenth of the immortality which Bilal the Abyssinian slave gained.

Indeed, the black colour of his complexion, his modest lineage, and his contemptible position among people as a slave did not deprive him, when he chose to embrace Islam, of occupying the high place which his truthfulness, certainty, purity, and self-sacrifice qualified him for. For him, all this would not have been on the scale of estimation and honour except as an astonishing occurrence when greatness is found where it could not possibly be.

Bilal would often hear about Muhammad
sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and Islam, through the alarming dicussions between his master and guests. Soon he felt drawn to this religion. He would listen to Abu Bakr calling to Islam, and slowly his heart was filled with ' iman .

He went with Abu Bakr to the Prophet
sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam and declared his submission to Islam. This was a daring move from a slave who belonged to a staunch enemy of Muhammad. He was the seventh person to accept Islam. Abu Bakr and others of the same tribal status, were spared from harm by the Quraysh.

However, the wrath of the disbelievers fell upon the Muslims who had no tribe to defend them.

'Umayyah ibn Khalaf used to force Bilal to go outside during the hottest part of the day wearing a suit of armour where he would then be thrown face down in the sand and leave him to bake in the sun. He would not return except to turn him on his back. He owuld have a gigantic rock placed on his chest and then say,

"You will stay here until you die or deny Muhammad and worship al-Lat and al-'Uzzah."

Bilal used to endure this only by saying, "One, One."